Summer Can't Start Soon Enough

February 23, 2004

2004 is turning into a disaster. Over the weekend four movies opened to a combined 21% positive and $10 million below expectations. Post holiday weekends are usually a bit of a slump, but this weekend dropped by nearly 25% and below the $100 million mark. Compared to last year the weekend is down an astounding 17.5% and 10% year to date. And the news doesn't get any better; next weekend the box office has to go head-to-head with the Oscars.

Fortunately we start the weekend wrap-up with some good news. 50 First Dates didn't become the first pump and dump movie of the year. It narrowly avoided that fate by earning $20.4 million last weekend. It's two week total of $71.7 million but it in second place for the year.

Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen also beat expectations with $9.4 million, which was also good enough for second place. Reviews were bad, really bad; but even at just 15% positive they weren't the worst for a new release this week.

Despite amazing mid-week numbers Miracle plummeted 44% during its third weekend at the box office, dropping to just $7.8 million. There is some good news; its total box office of $50.4 million is just a few hundred thousand behind The Mighty Ducks for highest grossing Hockey movie of all time.

Over the weekend, Ray Romano said he was worried Welcome to Mooseport would kill his career. An opening weekend of just $6.8 million in close to 2900 theatres and the worst reviews of the weekend probably won't do that. But if he doesn't bounce back with Eulogy it could become one of the more aptly named movies in a long while.

The strongest reviews of the new releases couldn't help Eurotrip at the box office. It could only manage $6.7 million and a 5th place finish. Even with a production budget of just $20 million, this movie won't see a profit till the Unrated DVD is released.

The last film to open wide was Against the Ropes. This was a train-wreck of a film that couldn't even live up to lower expectations. It could only grab $3.0 million, or roughly $35,000 per negative review. And unlike Meg Ryan's last box office disappointment, there won't be an unrated DVD to generate extra sales.


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Filed under: 50 First Dates, Miracle, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, Eurotrip, Welcome to Mooseport, Eulogy, Against the Ropes